The new NASCAR body is set to be released this Friday
Update: 2026 Chevy NASCAR body released
The Chevy ZL1 is being removed from the NASCAR Cup Series garage in 2026. GM is set to release a new body shape this week, as confirmed by Rick Hendrick below.
Rick Hendrick and Chevrolet go back before his time as a NASCAR Cup Series owner. They’ve been working together for 50 years.
“It’s supposedly better than what we got. Closer to what Toyota and Ford have,” Hendrick stated last week.
Rick Hendrick speaks on the new 2026 GM NASCAR body
Now, the team owner is confirming the release…
Rick Hendrick comments
“I think Chevrolet is going to make the official announcement Friday,” Rick Hendrick stated via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“So, I better not lean into that. I’m excited about it, can I say that?”
“I think we’ve been giving up a little bit to the Toyotas and Fords. They had a shot at the apple and made their cars better.”
“We have a turn to work on our car a little bit. Chevrolet is going to announce it Friday. So, they don’t have to wait very long.”
Per the team owner, the new GM NASCAR body will be released on November 14th, 2025.
NASCAR says the new General Motors body for the 2026 season is complete
Update: Leaked images
On Wednesday, NASCAR hosted a test session at Bristol Motor Speedway. The test is for a new Goodyear tire as well as a new rule package.
For 2026, many tracks will set a horsepower bump to 750hp. Bristol Motor Speedway is one of those tracks.
An interesting note, images from the cars in the test show them without a rear diffuser. This is a change that NASCAR has previously attempted since the launch of the Next Gen car.
And, that’s not all.
The track has a webcam that airs 24/7. It appears that Chevrolet is running the test with their new body shape.
View the images below.
NASCAR officially increases horsepower for the 2026 season
